Improved appaeatus foe seducing quioesilvee oees



J. C. COULT.

Reducing Quicksilver Ore.

1 70,321, PatentedOct. 29,1867;

' Inventor Witnesses= V f g TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

guitar: gr m gaunt @ffirrh IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR REDUCING QUIGKSILVER ORES.

an firtehule want in in tlgtfit with new: ant making out at 1112 sum.

Be it known-that I, J0sEPII G. COULT, of'the city and county of San Francisco, and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Furnaces-for Working Quicksilver Ores and other volatile substances; and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

In the annexed drawings, making part of this specification, A represents the frame of this furnace, which is. constructed substantially in the form represented. Within this frame are two fire-chambers B B, two oreohambers CC, and a central vapor and ore-chamber D. The smoke pipe G connects with the bottom of the centre chamber D, and serves not only to carry away the smoke, &c., from the fire, but also the vapor of the ore in the chambers C C. As the fire-chambers are placed on the outside of the ore-chambers, and the draught is from the centrechamber D the heat is drawn through the ore for the purpose of reducing it. Above the chambers 13 C D is placed a steum-yessel, which has connected to it a pipe, F, which leads oil and. has an orifice,

Kfl'so arranged as to act in conjunction with the orifice of the this leading from the fire and ore-chambers, for

the purpose of creating and continuing a strong blast or current. The flue G leads into the condensing-fines H .H' H. These condensing-fines are so constructed and arranged as to be surrounded with water for cooling and condensing the vapors from the ore. Within the flue H are placed a series of cross-sieves, which are formed of silver wircs or other wires silvcrod. The vapors and smoke pass through. these sieves. The sieves serve to divide and break the fumes, and at the same time to catch the finer portions of mercury. As the mercury is condensed, and falls to the bottom of the flues H H H, it is drawn oil through the holes d d at the bottoms of-said fines. The flue H" leads into a tank of'water at I, and from this tank the blast leads into a box,

which is provided with a series of partitions, J J. There is a passage around the ends of the partitions, each alternate partition being joined to the top and bottom of the box, as seen. K represents he Orific Where h blast or current escapes from the box. The vapor, in passing over the water and around the partitions J J, is

still fnrther eondenscd, and particles of mercury are deposited, which are properly collected after the charge of ore has been subjected to sufficient heat to discharge all of its mercury. The chamber D is provided, as seen, with'a series of pans, which may be filled with dust or finer particles of one, which cannot be properly treated in the chambers G C. The heat passes through the connecting pipes at a into chambers: C C and D. The pans are so arranged that there is a space left between each alternate pan and the wall of its chamber, so that the heat will freely circulate from top to bottom of the chamber, and around and through the pans.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 1. The fire-chambers B B, ore-chambers C O, and vapor-chamber D, arranged together, and with a steamtank above them, as and for the purpose set forth.

. 2. The arrangement of the pans within the chamber D, with alternate spaces between their sides and the walls of the chamber, as and for the purpose set forth. 7 v

3. The'silveredwire screens 0 0 sin the condensing-flue H, used as and for the purpose set forth. 4. The arrangement of the lines H H H, water-tank I, and partitions J J, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

l 5. The arrangement of the steam pipe F and its orifice, K, with the orifice K, for creating a draught, as and for the purpose set forth.

JOSEPH C. COULT.

Witnesses:

HENRY HAIGIIT, JAMES SMILEY. 

